The Diamond Mercenaries (1976)

A five-man team of professionals undertake a daring robbery at a diamond mine.

Director:

Val Guest

Writers:

Michael Winder, Val Guest

Stars:

Telly Savalas, Peter Fonda, Hugh O'Brian

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Telly Savalas	...	Harry Webb
Peter Fonda	...	Mike Bradley
Hugh O'Brian	...	John Lewis
Christopher Lee	...	Maj. Chilton
O.J. Simpson	...	'Bopper' Alexander
Maud Adams	...	Clare Chambers
Ian Yule	...	Edward Woods
Michael Mayer	...	Paul Adams
Victor Melleney	...	Ian Nelson
Richard Loring	...	Roberts
Stuart Brown	...	Chambers
Marina Christelis	...	Danielle
Frank Shelley	...	Pop Keller
Peter van Dissel	...	Rick (as Peter van Dissell)
Cocky Tlhotlhalemaje	...	Franklyn

Storyline

Head of company security, Harry Webb, fears that a diamond theft is about to take place at their major mining complex deep in the desert. He quickly manages to become very unpopular, particularly with Claire Chambers, a celebrated cover girl, daughter of the mine administrator. She is visiting the man she loves, Mike Bradley, who is responsible for security at the mine. Nelson, the mine administrator, gives Bradley a curious mission - to steal a diamond. He wants to implicate Bradley in order to bring him into contact with a certain Lewis who is preparing to rob the mine with the aid of a group of mercanaries and a local accessory known as Father Christmas. Webb, not being informed of the deceit, relentlessly pursues Bradley, who is contacted by Lewis. With the mercanaries in the process of penetrating the mine. Bradley reveals himself to be Father Christmas, the organiser of the entire operation. With Webb in pursuit, Bradley flees into the desert with the only other survivors - ...

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Plot Keywords:

psychotronic film | diamond | security | desert | heist | 

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Taglines:

They were professionals who killed for hire. But the man who hunted them killed for pleasure!

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

Ireland Switzerland USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 January 1976 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

The Diamond Mercenaries

Filming Locations:

South Africa

Company Credits

Production Co:

Houtsnede Maatschappij N.V., Kilarney, Michelangelo

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Three cast members appeared in James Bond movies. Telly Savalas was Ernst Stavro Blofeld in On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969). Sir Christopher Lee was Francisco Scaramanga in The Man with the Golden Gun (1974). Maud Adams appeared in three Bond movies as three different characters: as Andrea Anders in The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), as the title character in Octopussy (1983), and appeared uncredited in A View to a Kill (1985).

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Goofs

In the final part of the movie, just after Mike, Lewis and Clare decide to lay low on the ridge where they will have the stand-off, the movie cuts to a scene showing Webb arriving in his Jeep. In the second angle of this scene, a stunt driver wearing a poorly fitted bald cap is clearly visible driving the Jeep.

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Connections

Featured in Grindhouse Universe (2008)

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Soundtracks

I Will Love You Till I Die
Written and Performed by Georges Garvarentz Et Son Orchestre

User Reviews

"You got yourself a new member"

The plot outline sounded much better than the execution of it, but this largely forgotten on-the-cheap drive-in 70s adventure heist joint is worthwhile just for the cast alone and that it was directed by Val Guest. The setting is unique, a South African diamond mine located deep in the desert is targeted for a daring hit (Hugh O'Brian, Christopher Lee and a smirking O.J Simpson) and Telly Savalas in menacingly oozing form plays the company's security chief trying to prevent it. A cynically scruffy Peter Fonda is a field security officer who gets caught up in it all, when he agrees to go undercover; stealing a diamond and escaping capture to get the attention of an insider who they believe is smuggling diamonds/and who is also helping prepare a heist. However no-one else knows about this job, including his girlfriend (the radiant Maud Adams) and the security chief.

The knotty, if absurd plot offers a neat array of dangerous twists and unrelenting turns, which keeps the rhythmic story moving and constantly interesting. It really does pick up things in the back-end, as the plans are set in motion and the rough nature breaks out. The character interactions remain dynamic, especially the scenes when Fonda's character meets the heist group. Mechanically directed, but it consists of fun biting dialogues, all-out no-bull violence, well-shot locations and many big egos trying to mug every shot they're in. Backing this up is a titillatingly groovy soundtrack which simply makes you want to boogie. It does.